Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele (L) celebrates his first period goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate forward Ben Maxwell (49) during the first period of NHL pre-season action in Winnipeg September 20, 2011. (FRED GREENSLADE/REUTERS)

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele (L) celebrates his first period goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate forward Ben Maxwell (49) during the first period of NHL pre-season action in Winnipeg September 20, 2011.(FRED GREENSLADE/REUTERS)

Given their fast starts in recent years, the shortened NHL season will doubtless imbue Leafs Nation with the notion that this could be their year. Not to win the Cup, mind. After seven consecutive seasons of sitting at home when Lord Stanley’s big dance commences – the longest such drought in the league – just making the playoffs would be deemed an overwhelming triumph and might well be a necessity for general manager and president Brian Burke to keep his job.

The former first-round pick’s time to shine is now, and given the (inevitable) hype surrounding this offensive talent, Leafs fans will demand nothing less. He has a few years of pro experience under his belt now, and despite jibes about his conditioning from some quarters, is starting to throw his weight around in the AHL, averaging just under a point a game.

Finishing last in the Eastern Conference is never a good thing, but it’s a catastrophe in a city that has seen 24 Stanley Cup parades. Luckily the dark clouds of last season seem to have dissipated somewhat, and the arrival of former NHLer Marc Bergevin as general manager and the reinstatement of Michel Therrien behind the bench for his second go-round in Montreal point to brighter days ahead, not to mention the selection of Alex Galchenyuk with the third overall pick – a player some experts feel may turn out to be the best player in the 2012 draft. Now they just need to get Sportsnet analyst P.K. Subban under contract and back to his day job of patrolling the Habs’ blueline.

It might not be from the get-go, but eventually the third overall pick in the 2012 draft will be looked upon to fill the Canadiens’ seemingly eternal search for a dominating centre with size and skills. At 6 foot 1, he’s not exactly a behemoth, but he’s an upgrade on the what he can do with the puck in the recent world junior championship, registering two goals and six assists as the United States rolled to just its third gold medal in the event.